Nobody needs this debating club

The majority of Germans consider Chancellor Olaf Scholz to be overwhelmed in these turbulent times with the energy crisis, record inflation and the consequences of the war. The extremely meager result of the third session of the Concerted Action should not be enough to change this assessment. Because the meetings of employers and trade unions in the Chancellery are a complete waste of time.

The fact that the powerful IG Metall at the same time called on its employees to go on warning strikes impressively demonstrates how little seriously Scholz's speech about "standing together in the crisis" is taken. If the chancellor had hoped to persuade the unions to restrain wages despite an inflation rate of more than 10 percent, reality is now catching up with him.

The tax and duty exemption offered by the federal government last time for a one-time payment of 3000 euros is gladly accepted - in addition to high tariff increases. And so the wage-price spiral further fuels inflation.

Employers, on the other hand, see the debating club primarily as an opportunity to obtain more credit-funded relief from politicians. The announced gas and electricity price brake is also the lowest common denominator on which social partners and politicians were able to agree.

However, this can only dampen inflation in the short term and cosmetically. Because the popular cap reduces the urgently needed energy savings and cannot be financed in the long term. Incidentally, more and more new debts are also driving inflation.

Meanwhile, the economy is waiting in vain for the government to implement its promise not to create any further burdens on companies. But the increase in social security contributions has been decided, as well as the new citizens' income and the supply chain law, which makes foreign trade more difficult. Apparently no one listens to the other in the rounds of talks of the concerted action.